The Most Popular Comedian

With Wen Zhecheng’s meticulous care, the progress of the crew surged forward like a floodgate opening. Not only did they not fall behind, but they even finished the Friday daytime shoot ahead of schedule.

Director Long Zheng rubbed his hands in delight. “Things are going smoothly. We still have time, so why not shoot the next scene as well?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Wen Zhecheng turned his head sharply, his gaze fierce and intimidating like a wolf.

Long Zheng: What… what’s wrong?

Wen Zhecheng pursed his lips, slightly toning down his gaze. “Director Long, everyone has worked hard these past few days. Since we finished early, let’s take a break, shall we?”

The other actors in the crew also didn’t want to rush the schedule. Seeing that the reigning film emperor had spoken up, they all playfully coaxed the director. “Oh, Director, how about a balance between work and rest? Give us a little break!”

Long Zheng had no choice but to wave his hand. “Alright, alright. Let’s call it a day here! Wrap up!”

“Yeah! Director Long, we love you!”

Assistant Xiaotang had already left in the car as soon as Long Zheng said “Wrap up.” Wen Zhecheng turned to tidy up his belongings in the dressing room, feeling ecstatic inside. He had initially planned to contact Rong Yuheng after returning to the hotel, but he couldn’t hold back and sent him a message.

Filled with excitement, he sent a voice message directly:

“We’re done here and about to head back to the hotel. Call me whenever you’re free.”

Wen Zhecheng, despite his high status, never acted haughty. The dressing room was limited, so he shared it with the two lead actors.

Just then, Pan Siyi, who played the female lead, entered the room and heard Wen Zhecheng sending a voice message. She smiled and asked, “Zhe ge, do you have something to do later?”

Wen Zhecheng responded with a sound, driven by an inexplicable desire to show off. He added, “I have a video call appointment.”

Pan Siyi was quite surprised. “Is it with your family?”

Wen Zhecheng paused for two seconds, then made another sound. Just as the words left his mouth, he received a text message.

Rong Yuheng replied with a voice message, returning the courtesy. Wen Zhecheng opened it and heard a vibrant and crisp “kekeke” laugh from the other end.

“Is 9 p.m. okay? I took a quick look at the progress bar yesterday, and watching a little over 90 minutes until 10:30 p.m. isn’t late at all! kekekeke…”

Wen Zhecheng instantly felt a wave of sweetness. Rong Yuheng had even checked the progress bar in advance! It was as if he had prepared a strategy for their date. He truly cared!

Suppressing his excitement, Wen Zhecheng maintained composure and replied, “Hmm~”

His voice message played aloud, catching Pan Siyi’s attention. She was initially drawn in by the refreshing voice of a guy, wondering if the film emperor had a younger brother. But the next second, her mind was overwhelmed by a sudden burst of “kekekeke” laughter.

Pan Siyi: Oh my goodness! Is this the hamster that Wen Zhecheng keeps at home?

–

While Wen Zhecheng was training, Rong Yuheng was still practicing with the team. After receiving the reply, he put his phone away and joined the other members to rehearse their dance routine.

As a former trainee, Shan Qi had spent a long time practicing and was not only a good singer but also excelled in dancing. He understood the importance of the center position (C position) and put a lot of effort into the choreography, ensuring that everyone had a chance to stand in the center for a solo.

“Yuheng, when you step back, use a sliding step and make it more fluid. Don’t be too rhythmic, or it looks like you’re doing a solo tango,” Shan Qi advised.

Rong Yuheng lowered his head in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Little Qi Ge. Should I practice on my own?”

Shan Qi sighed. “Okay, practice on your own for a while.”

Rong Yuheng moved to the side and started to slide and slide on the smooth floor… After a while, tears started to well up in his eyes.

He realized that he might have been too joyful and couldn’t contain himself.

“I’ll go next door and ask Jianing.” Rong Yuheng bid farewell to his teammates and hurriedly ran to the next room.

Huang Jianing was the best dancer among them, and every time Rong Yuheng encountered a problem, he relied on Huang Jianing to correct him.

Just as Huang Jianing’s team had finished their training, Rong Yuheng slid across the smooth floor and called out to him, “Jianing, save the poor child!”

Huang Jianing turned his head and saw Rong Yuheng rushing toward him with a right bow step — even though it was just him, it felt like he was charging through an army of thousands!

Huang Jianing’s pupils shook. “Don’t tango towards me!”

Rong Yuheng froze for a moment, then a tear slowly rolled down from the corner of his eye. “…This is a slide step.”

Huang Jianing: “…” Well, that certainly broadened his horizons.

Not wanting to watch him give an emotional performance, Huang Jianing quickly got to the point. “When you lower your right heel, shift your weight to the right foot and slowly drag your left foot backward. The heel of the left foot should be slightly off the ground, don’t press it down, otherwise, you won’t be able to slide.”

Several teammates gathered around to watch, and one person seemed particularly interested and started learning along with them.

Rong Yuheng followed Huang Jianing’s instructions and slid once again, slightly better than before but still not smooth enough. Just as Huang Jianing was about to demonstrate again, another member of the team, Wang Wenge, suddenly spoke up.

“That’s enough, Huang Jianing, which team are you from anyway?”

Huang Jianing stopped and frowned at him. “What does that have to do with anything? Rong Yuheng and I are friends. What’s wrong with teaching him a slide step?”

Wang Wenge said, “Teaching an apprentice makes the master hungry. What if their team performs well and surpasses us? Are you responsible?”

One of the teammates who just learned the slide step replied, “You can’t say that. We are both companions and competitors.”

Seeing that his teammate didn’t support him, Wang Wenge turned his focus on Rong Yuheng. “Are you serious? You went to another team to learn dancing. Can’t Shan Qi teach you?”

Rong Yuheng, with his good temper, lowered his head and apologized, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

Huang Jianing became unhappy. “He came to me for guidance, not you. I haven’t even said anything, so why do you care so much?”

Seeing that an argument was about to break out, Rong Yuheng quickly restrained Huang Jianing’s restless soul. “Alright, alright, let’s not argue and disturb the team spirit…”

Everyone: “…”

Rong Yuheng played the role of peacemaker and reassured Huang Jianing, then turned to comfort Wang Wenge. “Don’t worry, the overall performance of the team is just a reference. Even if your team wins in the end, you may not be able make your debut.”

Wang Wenge: “…”

Huang Jianing: “Pfft.”

Having successfully deflated Wang Wenge’s ego, Rong Yuheng made a quick exit, gliding away on the floor with the newly learned slide step, demonstrating his diligent character to the extreme.

He could actually understand Wang Wenge’s mentality. The less confident a person is, the more they calculate every gain and loss for others. Yu Rao, who was eliminated before, was also like this.

So there was no need to be angry. It was just a matter of course.

After returning, Rong Yuheng trained with his teammates for a while until it was time for dinner in the evening. 

As they walked outside the classroom, Shan Qi pulled Rong Yuheng from behind. “You’ve made progress. How about practicing alone with me tonight?”

Rong Yuheng thought about his plan to watch the variety show with Wen Zhecheng and said, “Let’s do it another day. I have something tonight.”

Shan Qi nodded and didn’t insist. “Alright.”

Since he would be video calling Wen Zhecheng and it might disturb others in the dormitory, Rong Yuheng took his phone and headphones to the lounge after showering in the evening.

At this hour, no one would come to the lounge. Although it was mainly used by mentors and visitors, trainees could also enter when it was not in use.

Rong Yuheng only had one phone, so he downloaded a floating window software that allowed him to drag Wen Zhecheng’s video call window to the corner of the screen while watching videos.

Just as the time on the phone reached 9:00, Wen Zhecheng’s call invitation arrived punctually.

Rong Yuheng almost suspected that he was an AI.

He answered the call, and Wen Zhecheng’s video appeared in a small floating window. It seemed that Wen Zhecheng was using a computer, as the hotel room behind him was clearly visible.

He seemed to have taken a shower and was wearing a white bathrobe with the collar slightly open, revealing his collarbone that moved slightly when he raised his hand. Rong Yuheng couldn’t help but remember Pu Zaixi’s words: Wen Zhecheng is full of sexual tension.

Rong Yuheng asked, “Have you showered?”

Wen Zhecheng had just set up his phone and was feeling a bit nervous, always trying to find the best angle to make himself look good. When he heard Rong Yuheng’s question, he replied, “I just did. How about you?”

Rong Yuheng said, “I did too.”

Wen Zhecheng had asked casually, but the conversation made him feel a bit strange. Especially since he was still in a hotel and had some thoughts about Rong Yuheng, even the video call tonight, he had taken a fragrant bath on purpose.

Wen Zhecheng’s thoughts were starting to drift uncontrollably.

He tried to suppress some quite stimulating thoughts in his mind and warned himself: It’s not the right time yet, wait until it’s appropriate to put it into practice.

Rong Yuheng was unaware that Wen Zhecheng on the other side was having his own private thoughts. He enthusiastically opened the trial version of “Treasure Hunting Competition” and sat on the couch, impatiently saying, “Hurry up, I’m ready!”

Only then did Wen Zhecheng clear his throat and opened the program with a serious expression, “I’m ready too.”

At the same time, they both pressed the “play” button, and the logo of “Treasure Hunting Competition” slid open in the middle of the screen, with a golden sponsor logo “Luei” below it.

Wen Zhecheng glanced at it and couldn’t tell if it was praise or criticism, “They’re good at finding sponsors.”

Rong Yuheng replied, “…Yes, they are.” Indeed, your ancestors.

With a few exchanges, the preview segment had ended, and after listing the identities of the five guests on the screen, the barrage in the live chat began. Rong Yuheng had posted on Weibo in advance, so he had his own fans waving their support.

Amidst the stream of barrage, the screen transitioned to the main content.

Su Yu Yin and the others stood outside the main gate. Based on their positions, Rong Yuheng and Su Yu Yin were closest to each other, prompting someone to ask in the barrage:

“Who is that Rong? I’ve never seen him before.”

Rong Yuheng’s fan replied: “He’s a comedian~”

Wen Zhecheng: “Hmm.”

Rong Yuheng: “?”

Then the group of people entered the venue. As soon as they entered the gate, it slammed shut with a loud “bang” from behind—everyone was startled, and their startled movements were quite coordinated, as if they had undergone strict training.

Collective barrage: Hahaha…

Then, the frightened Rong Yuheng waved at Xi Tao, signaling her to hide behind him.

A barrage slipped by: Rong Goose is so warm, I wish I had a boyfriend like him~

Wen Zhecheng thought to himself, add one more, add one more…

In the program, Su Yuyin quickly organized the group and started searching for clues. There were also discussions interspersed, such as “Can props be eaten?” Xi Tao’s fans began to exclaim: Tao Tao is so adorable!

Wen Zhecheng couldn’t quite grasp what was cute about Xi Tao, he felt that Rong Yuheng was the cutest.

The actual recording on site and the final edited episode had some differences. For example, during the filming, after Gou Li asked if they needed to find a way to enter the next room, Rong Yuheng immediately opened the door to the next room.

However, for the variety show’s effect, the production team deliberately rearranged and moved a portion of the final search for clues scene to the beginning. So what was presented to the viewers at this moment was:

The group of people frantically searched for clues in the first room. After searching for a while, Rong Yuheng suddenly walked up to the second door and pressed the doorknob — “click,” the door opened…

The whole screen froze for five seconds, and the barrage of comments in the chat scrolled by with “hahaha” in an orderly manner, interspersed with a few “silly” remarks.

Wen Zhecheng found it interesting and asked, “How long did you guys search for?”

Rong Yuheng honestly replied, “We didn’t search at all. I just opened the door. This was the part where we went back to search again at the end.”

Wen Zhecheng nodded and timely praised, “You’re really clever.”

Rong Yuheng shyly smiled, “I know.”

Wen Zhecheng choked, “…”

He had originally planned to praise him more when he showed some modesty.

But little did he expect that he couldn’t release all the rainbow farts he had prepared.